Coffin



G. M. MAHAR AND P. M. M. PHELPS.

' COFFIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1921.

1332972 I Patentd July 11,1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Ina/wanton) w. ha. M

Mr J I G. M. .MAHAR AND P. M. M. PHELPS.

COFFIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, I921.

1.4%,726. Patented July 11, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORGE M. MAHAR AND PHILIP M. M. PHELPS, OF FAIR HAVEN, VERMONT,

GOFFIN.-

Application filed May 20,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Gnonon M. lViAHAn and PHILIP M. M. PHELPS, citizens of the United States, residing at Fair Haven, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffins, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to coflins constructed of slabs of slate Or other natural or artificial stone and has for its object to provide a construction which, in addition to having the advantages due to the material employed, will be relatively inexpensive to construct, will involve the use of the least possible supporting means for holding the slabs in place, will permit of the use of relatively thin slabs and at the same time will be strong, easily handled and relatively light in weight.

With the above described objects and other objects hereinafter described, in view our invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coffin embodying our invention with the cover removed,

Figure 2 is a side view of the coffin shown in Figure 1 with the cover in place,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal central seetional view of the cofin shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 same,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view showing the means for securing the cover to the sides and ends, and

Figure 6 is a detail view of the screw threaded socket for the screws for securing the cover in place.

In the drawings 1 indicates a rectangular slab of slate or other natural or artificial stone preferably about one-half inch in thickness though its thickness may vary somewhat, depending on the size of the coffin. Across this slab atsuitable distances from its ends for the attachment of the handles with which coffins are customarily provided for convenience in handling them, extend supporting strips of sheet or plate metal, preferably two in number near each end, each comprising a centre portion 2 is a cross sectional view of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922,

1921. Serial No. 471,041.

secured to the slab 1 and end portions 3 and 4: bent upward at right angles to the centre portion, the length of the centre portion 2 corresponding to the width of the slab 1. To these upwardly extending end portions 3 and 4 are secured the sides 6 and 7 each consisting of a rectangular slab of slate. Between the ends of these sides 6 and 7 are arranged the ends 8 and 9 each consisting of a slab of slate rectangular in shape. The sides and ends are preferably somewhat thinner than the bottom slab 1 though they may all be of the same thickness.

The ends 8 and 9 are held in proper relation to the ends of the bottom and side slabs by longitudinal rods 10 and 11 on one side and 12 and 13 on the other side, of which the rods 10 and 12 are near the upper edges of the sides and ends and the rods 11 and 13 are near the bottom slab 1. These longitudinal rods are screwthreaded at their ends and are provided with nuts 14 within the ends and nuts 15 outside the ends, the nuts serving to clamp the ends between them and thus hold them from movement either inward or outward. These rods are spaced a short distance away from the inner faces of the sides so that they serve as supporting means for the drapery, indicated at 20, commonly used for lining coffins.

Through the sides 6 and 7 a short distance from the inner surfaces of the ends 8 and 9 extend cross rods 17 and 18 the rods 17 being near the upper edges of the sides. These cross rods are screwthreaded on their ends'to receive nuts 19 outside the sides by which the sides are firmly held at top and bottom against the side edges of the ends 8 and 9. No nuts are needed on these rods on the inside of the sides as the ends 8 and 9 serve to prevent any inward movement of the sides. These cross rods are spaced a short distance away from the inner faces of the ends so as to serve to support the end portions of the drapery with which the cofiin is lined.

Through the upwardly extending portions 3 and 4 of the supporting strips near their upper ends bolts 21 extend through holes drilled in the sides 6 and 7 and on the outer ends of these are secured the plates 23 to which the handles 24 are hinged. The strain of lifting the coflin is thus transmitted from the handles through the supporting strips to the bottom slab 1 without any strain on the side slabs 6 and 7 so that there is no tendency in lifting the cofiin by the handles to separate the sides from the bottom. These supporting strips thus serve not only to hold the sides in proper position relative to the bottom slab but also to relieve the sides of the strain of lifting.

The centre portions 2 of the supporting strips are secured to the bottom slab 1 by bolts 25 and the upwardly extending portions 3 and 4 are secured to the sides by bolts 26in addition to the bolts 21 above described.

The cover is perferably formed in two parts and these parts are secured in place on the sides and ends by screws 32, preferably thumb screws as shown in Figure 5, entering screwthreaded sockets 33 inserted and cemented or otherwise secured in holes drilled in the upper edges of the sides and ends.

These sockets are preferably formed as shown in Figure 6 with groove 34 midway between its ends and with the portions 85 and 35 above and below the groove roughened so as to be securely held by suitable cement in the holes drilled to receive them.

All of the supporting means by which the sides and ends are held to each other and to the bottom are within the coffin except only the bolts on the ends of the rods and the bolts which pass through the supporting strip 2- 3-4;, so that the exterior presents an almost unbroken surface of slate. As slate is particularlyadapted to receive surfacing material by which the appearance of marble, ma hogany, onyx, black enamel, white enamel or other ornamental material is presented, these.

almost unbroken surfaces permit of giving the cofiin an attractive appearance resembling marble, mahogany, onyx, black enamel, white enamel, or other material.

The joints between the slabs forming the bottom, sides and ends should be made water tight by cement, aluminum solder or any suitable material.

Instead of using two supporting strips for each handle we may use a single strip mad-e sufficiently wide at the upper ends of the upwardly extending portions 3 and 4.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. In a coffin the combination of a bottom slab of stone, end slabs of stone having their lower edges resting on the ends of the bottom slab, side slabs of stone enclosing be-.

tween them the bottom slab and the end slabs, upper and lower cross rods holding the side slabs against the end and bottom slabs, supporting stripsintermediate the ends having their centre portions secured to the upper face of the bottom slab and having their end portions upwardly extending and secured to the inner faces of the side slabs, and longitudinal rods extending along the side slabs and provided at their ends with means for holding the end slabs against movement either inward or outward.

2. In a cofiin thecombination of a bottom slab of stone, end slabs of stone having their lower edges resting on the ends of the bottom slab, side slabs of stone enclosing between them the bottom slab and the end slabs, upper and lower cross rods holding the side slabs against the end and bottom slabs,supporting strips intermediate the ends having their centre portions secured to the upper face of the bottom slab and having their end portions upwardly extending and secured to the inner faces of the side slabs, and longitudinal rods extending along the side slabs and provided at their ends with means for holding the end slabs against movement either inward or outward, the cross rods and longitudinal rods being arranged at a sufiioient distance from the end and side slabs respectively to permit them to serve as supports for drapery.

3. In a coifin the combination of a bottom slab of stone, end slabs of stone having their lower edges resting on the ends of the bottom slab, side slabs of stone enclosing between them the bottom slaband the end slabs, upper and lower cross rods holding the side slabs against the end and bottom slabs, supporting strips intermediate the ends having their centre portions secured to the upper face of the bottom slab and having their end por- V tions upwardly extending and secured to the inner faces of the side slabs, and longitudinal rods extending along the side slabs and provided at their ends with means for holding the end slabs against movement either inward or outward, and handles on the outside of the side slabs secured through said side slabs to the supporting strips.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures this 18th day of May, 1921.

GEORGE M. MAHAR.

PHILIP M. M. PHELPS. 

